I’ve never tasted a real Guinness, but I now I’ve baked it into a cake. Although gingerbread isn’t my favorite, I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully spiced this cake turned out. Boiling the molasses also brought out the flavor much more than simply adding it into the batter. And don’t be alarmed by how liquid the batter is; it still produces a fine, delicate crumb. This cake smells of Christmas and cold weather and is an ideal dessert to make for the holidays. So enjoy, and happy baking and happy holidays!
Gingerbread Guinness Cake
Makes 24 cupcakes or 2 9-inch cakes
Adapted by Amrita Rawat from the book Tea with Bea by Bea Vo
250 ml Guinness stout beer
200 ml molasses
1½ tsp. baking soda
280 g. all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. cloves
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
100 g. sugar
100 g. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. finely grated ginger
200 ml (¾ cup) oil
• Boil the Guinness and the molasses in a tall saucepan until the mixture reaches a boil.
• Stir in the baking soda and let stand until cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a separate large bowl, gather all of the other ingredients and beat them with a whisk until combined. Then, whisk in the Guinness and molasses mixture.
• Pour the batter into cupcake or cake pans.
• Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until you can insert a knife or skewer into the center and it comes out clean or with few crumbs attached.
• Let cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Stout Frosting 1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. Guinness
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
• Beat all of the ingredients in a bowl until combined. If necessary, add more sugar to thicken or more Guinness or vanilla to loosen.
• Spread a thin layer over the top of the cake or tops of the cupcakes.
This article appears in December 2012.
